Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution because it involves the most important of all issues, preserving Social Security and Medicare. But while I appreciate the sentiments, I think it is most important we really get down to legislation. In a sense, this is a baby step when we need a great leap forward. It is entitled Social Security Guarantee Initiative, but it really guarantees nothing. We have to get busy on legislation. The President has proposed his position, now we need to hear from the majority and then begin to compare notes and to act. This resolution would be more meaningful if it had said that the first priority should be to save Social Security and Medicare as we proposed in the full committee. But in any event, let us pass this resolution and then get down to a bipartisan effort to secure Social Security and Medicare for the long run.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor five high schools within my Congressional district that have been identified as Outstanding High Schools by U.S. News and World Report . . . De La Salle Collegiate in Warren, Henry Ford II in Sterling Heights, Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic in Warren, Troy High School and Troy Athens High School in Troy. U.S. News & World Report, in conjunction with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, reviewed 1,053 high schools in six major metropolitan areas and singled out examples that can serve as models of excellence for communities across the nation. Ninety six schools were cited as examples of outstanding institutions where students progress steadily toward high academic standards and where every student matters. The five schools that were honored shared several key traits including high academic standards, a core curriculum, highly qualified teachers, strong mentoring for new teachers, partnerships between parents and schools, administrators and teachers who know each child and high attendance rates. Each school also demonstrated high academic achievement as defined by the NORC. The NORC's ``value-added approach'' measured each school's performance only after taking its students' family circumstances into account, thus identifying schools that do an outstanding job with the students they have, regardless of their socio-economic background. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring these five schools, De La Salle Collegiate, Henry Ford II, Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic, Troy High School and Troy Athens High School and to congratulate their administrators, faculty, students and parents for their dedication and hard work. I wish them continued success as they continue to take care of our nation's greatest asset, our young people.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Judson Center on the occasion of their 75th Anniversary. The Judson Center began as a children's home with a single matron tending to the emotional, physical and spiritual growth of only a few children. As children and families became more fragmented and victimized by poverty, disabilities, abuse and neglect, the Judson Center grew to meet these new challenges. Under the 17 year leadership of Mounir W. Sharobeem, the Judson Center has 365 employees and is a comprehensive, multi-faceted, community-based human service center providing care for over one thousand individuals on any given day. It serves individuals in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw and Kalamazoo counties. In 1991, the agency won Crain's Detroit Business ``Best Managed Non- Profit Award,'' and the Peter F. Drucker Award for Non-Profit Innovation. In 1994, Judson Center was a finalist in the Innovations in State and Local Government Award program, sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. The Richard Huegli Award sponsored by United Community Services has been presented to the agency on two occasions. In 1994 it received this award for its innovative Supported Employment program, and in 1998 for its Living in Family Environment initiative. Judson's leader, Mounir W. Sharobeen was awarded Executive of the Year by United Community Services in 1990, and Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 1992. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Judson Center for 75 years of fulfilling its mission to help children, adults and families reach their fullest potential. I wish them success in continuing to serve so many communities in need.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Flora Walker, Past President of Michigan's American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Council 25 on the occasion of her retirement. Flo Walker has served this organization as President with dedication and devotion for the past six years, and will be honored at a retirement tribute on January 29, 1999. While at the helm she has contributed to building a strong and united statewide Council, and forgoing a renewal of solidarity and unity of purpose. Under Flo Walker's leadership, numerous programs and initiatives were developed which look toward the 21st century. These include streamlining and updating the Arbitration Department; overhauling the entire Council 25's legal operation; adding more Council servicing staff and new computer equipment, and developing a new Web page. Flo Walker has led the Council in the purchase of an additional building in Flint, the Organizing Annex, and the former Chamber of Commerce Building in Detroit. The Detroit building includes an auditorium, and a radio/television studio. And the list goes on with the expansion of Council 25's Education Department, offering seminars and workshops for its members, and instituting an annual charitable golf outing to benefit the Mental Health Association. Ms. Walker has also led efforts to increase voter awareness and participation in the electoral process. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our gratitude to Flora Walker for so much that has been accomplished under her presidency, and to wish her good health and happiness for the future.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mayor George Suarez who is resigning after 25 years of faithful and dedicated service to the City of Madison Heights and its residents. Mayor Suarez has governed the City of Madison Heights almost half of its city's 44 year history, and under his leadership and guidance, their residents have benefitted from new and expanded facilities. A senior citizen center, a district court building, a ``state-of-the- art'' police station, a branch library, a second fire station, and a nature center built in Friendship Woods that proudly bears the Suarez name, are just a few of his outstanding accomplishments. In addition, George Suarez has served on innumerable boards and committees, not merely as a member, but as an active participant. And on a more festive note, Mayor Suarez had the honor of performing 1,925 wedding ceremonies. Mr. Speaker, I have known and worked with Mayor Suarez from my very first term in the United States House of Representatives and have seen first-hand his community's development and progress. My staff and I have worked closely with the Mayor and his administration throughout the years, and we have always enjoyed a friendly and productive relationship. Serving the public has been a priority in the life of George Suarez and indeed, it will continue as his title changes from Mayor to Commissioner. In November, he ran and won the seat as Oakland County Commissioner for the 24th District and will begin serving in January 1999. As he reflected on his retirement, he said, ``Although I'm stepping down as your Mayor, I plan to be an active part of the community for the foreseeable future, helping Madison Heights to continue to be the city of progress.'' I agree, and with a bit of a twist to an old saying--you can take the man out of Madison Heights, but you can't take Madison Heights out of the man. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me first, in thanking George Suarez for his friendship and all that he has accomplished for the residents of Madison Heights and second, to wish him good health and success in fulfilling his new assignment. We will miss you, Mayor Suarez.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the majority, you talk about the rule of law, but you rig the rule today so there cannot be a vote on a strong censure motion that so many of us support. You talk about a vote of conscience, but you will not let us, probably a majority, vote our conscience on this floor. I guess you were aware of your own Members. It was not long ago that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) said, ``This whole proceeding will fall on its face if it is not perceived by the American people to be fair. But that is exactly what has happened, an unfair, highly partisan proceeding. This debate here stands in stark contrast to the debate in 1991 on the Persian Gulf. The feelings were strong but it was nonpartisan and fair. Unlike today, the seats were filled and we came to deliberate, to exchange views, to listen to one another, not to pursue a set political agenda. In this decade, that was this House's finest hour. This is its worst. Today signifies the total complete breakdown of bipartisanship. What we learned growing up takes on new meaning today. Two wrongs do not make a right. The President was wrong, very wrong. To turn that today into impeachment is also wrong, very wrong.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this budget agreement can be summed up in four words: Bad process, good result. There is an old saying about how people with weak stomachs should never watch sausage or laws being made. The process we are following today gives sausage makers a bad name. The process by which we arrive at today's budget agreement is indefensible. This year--for the first time in the 24-year history of the Budget Act--the House and Senate failed to agree on a budget resolution. More than half of the thirteen regular appropriation bills were never completed. The majority dragged its feet all year on scores of other important matters. Whether it's providing emergency funding to deal with the year 2000 computer problem and natural disasters, or recapitalizing the IMF, or extending critical tax provisions like the research and development tax credit, the country's business shouldn't have to wait until the 11th hour. The breakdown in the budget process rests squarely on the shoulders of the majority and its leadership. The result is that we are considering a $500 billion, 4,000-page, catch-all bill, with no amendments allowed. This is no way to legislate. No thanks to the process, on balance, the budget agreement before us contains many of the priorities I have been fighting for this year. The agreement contains funding to begin hiring 100,000 new teachers to reduce class size in schools across America. It expands Head Start and provides for after school and child literacy programs. The agreement is true to our commitment to save Social Security first. it rejects Republican efforts to raid $80 billion of the Social Security surplus. The agreement provides critically needed funding for the IMF so it can respond to the financial turmoil abroad that, left unchecked, threatens to undermine our own economy. The agreement provides funding to help solve the serious Year 2000 computer problem. It increases funding for the National Institutes of Health to combat diabetes, cancer and other diseases. It funds the COPS Program to put more police on our streets. It makes necessary improvements to Medicare's home health care rules. Finally, this agreement strips out dozens of special interest, anti-environmental riders that had been inserted into the appropriation bills. Unfortunately, other important goals were not achieved. The majority succeeded in blocking comprehensive campaign finance reform, blocked action on a meaningful Patients' Bill of Rights, and prevented the President's school construction initiative. While the process was seriously flawed, and the bill before us does not address all concerns, I will vote for the budget agreement. I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in the deepest sadness to memorialize the untimely passing of a member of my staff, Laura Robinson Kuzniar, whose life was cut short at the young age of thirty years. My first contact with Laura was when she was a small girl and we had occasion to visit her home in Royal Oak. Our families had similar interest--my wife, Vicki, and Laura's mother, Rosemary, participated in the AAUW, and her father, Hal, was active in political life. In December 1995, as a young woman and graduate of Oakland University, Laura was hired as a caseworker and office manager in my Sterling Heights district office. Here she was a quick learner, a team player and an inspiration to the entire staff. She was wise beyond her years; she was concerned and caring for those constituents she served; and she was fastidious and devoted to her work. In the prime of her life, in a wonderfully happy marriage to Larry, misfortune struck in September 1996. Laura was diagnosed with leukemia. With an exceptional fighting spirit, she endured an uphill battle for a little more than two years. Despite stays in the hospital, and its accompanying pain and suffering, Laura kept battling against all odds. Gaining back some strength, and with spirits high, she would come back to work, always hoping for a positive prognosis. But the leukemia returned, and on October 13, it ended her life. How unfortunate it is that this remarkable woman who had so much to give not only to her family and friends and colleagues, but to society as well, was taken from us--taken away before she had the opportunity to fully realize her bountiful gifts. I, and her colleagues in both my district and Washington offices, have indeed lost a marvelous friend. I know we will miss her humor, her charm, her insight, her feistiness and her goodness. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in sending our condolences to Laura's devoted husband, Larry, to her caring parents, Rosemary and Harold Robinson, and to her loving sister, Elisabeth, and brother, Thomas.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to Mr. Gilman and Mr. Hamilton for their help in scheduling this resolution on the Floor. I would also like to thank the other co-chairs of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Schaffer, Ms. Slaughter, and especially Mr. Fox. Finally, I thank Carol Ertel, Dan Jourdan and Lisa Mulcrone of my personal staff. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 295 commemorates the 65th anniversary of the Ukrainian Famine of 1932 to 1933. At least seven million Ukrainians died--not by natural causes of drought or flood or a poor harvest--rather seven million died because the leaders of the former Soviet Union chose to use food as a weapon. Seeking to punish Ukraine for its opposition to Soviet policies of forced collectivization of agriculture and industrialization, Joseph Stalin unleashed the horror of the Ukrainian Famine. Years after these events transpired, the deaths of seven million Ukrainians were covered up and officially denied by the government of the former Soviet Union. Today we remember. House Concurrent Resolution 295 expresses the sense of Congress that the victims of the Soviet-engineered Ukrainian Famine be solemnly remembered. In this resolution, Congress condemns the systematic disregard for human life, human rights, human liberty, and self- determination that characterized the repressive policies of the government of the former Soviet Union during the Ukrainian Famine of 1932 and 1933. It is important that we remember the Ukrainian Famine and its victims. We must remember and do everything we can to prevent similar tragedies from happening again. Even now, half-way around the world, another man-made famine is being inflicted on the people of Kosovo. The Serbian security forces have imposed food blockades and deliberately destroyed crops and livestock of Kosovo. Over one-third of Kosovo's villages and thousands of homes have been deliberately destroyed. Hundreds of innocent men, women and children have been killed and tens of thousands more are without food and shelter as winter comes on. The most meaningful way to honor the memory of the seven million the Ukrainians who died in the Great Famine is to prevent such senseless tragedies from happening again. Mr. Speaker, government-induced famine is never justified. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting House Concurrent Resolution 295.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Ukrainian Cultural Center, Warren, Michigan, as they celebrate 20 years as the heart of the Ukrainian community in Michigan. The Center will commemorate this occasion with a banquet and cultural celebration on October 18, 1998. The Ukrainian Cultural Center is home to more than forty arts, civic, cultural, educational, social, sports and youth organizations. Included in these are the member organizations of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of American branch for Southeastern Michigan. In addition to lending financial support in grants and aid to community organizations and individuals, the Center's beautiful conference halls, classrooms, gym and social club host a variety of programs and special events throughout the year. The Ukrainian Cultural Center is not only a showpiece in the community but serves as a key site for instruction on Ukrainian literature, history, language, arts and leisure activities. The Ukrainian Cultural Center houses the Ukrainian Museum, which collects and displays historical artifacts and religious relics. The Ukrainian Library makes available to all many Ukrainian language books and periodicals. Additionally, the Center publishes print, audio and video material relevant to Ukraine American community. The Ukrainian Cultural Center is key to assuring the strength of the Ukrainian ethnic identity and to all teach fellow Americans bout the rich Ukrainian Culture. The Center also serves as an important forum to ring to others the history of Ukraine's successful struggle for independence. The Center is integral part of not only the Ukrainian community, but all of metropolitan Detroit and Michigan. It remains as one of the best examples of the many colorful ethnic backgrounds that weave such a wonderfully diverse community profile. The Ukrainian Cultural Center has hosted many distinguished guests in the past 20 years, including two sitting U.S. Presidents and the first President of Independent Ukraine. I have had the distinct pleasure to attend a wide variety of functions at the Ukrainian Cultural Center. Some have been meetings with leaders of Ukraine; others have been social or cultural events; and still others have been for exchanges of ideas with a wide range of leaders and other members of the Ukrainian-American community which thrives in the 12th Congressional District. On so many of these occasions, I have seen the particularly effective endeavors of Borys Potapenko, the Center's Director of Operations, Bhodan Fedorak, President of the Center's Board of Directors, and other officers who all devote so much of their time to the Center's unique position in the Ukrainian-American and the broader community. So, I ask my colleagues to join me as we extend our sincere congratulations to the Ukrainian Cultural Center for their 20 wonderful years, and our hopes for continued success in the future.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor an outstanding gentleman, Mr. Bruno Nowicki, ninety years young, on the occasion of his Testimonial Banquet on October 11, 1998 at the Polish Century Club in Detroit. Bruno Nowicki was born in Poland and came to the United States in 1926 as an exchange student at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh. After one semester, he began to work as a reporter for the Polish newspaper, and subsequently moved to Chicago and then to Detroit where he started the Hamtramck Business World in 1931. He changed course in 1936 and opened a monument business in the metropolitan Detroit area. Bruno sold not just cemetery memorials, his work included designing and building monuments that celebrate Poland. After fifty years in the monument business, Bruno ``retired'' to return to the Polish newspaper he left 50 years earlier and of which he later became a partial owner. This year, he was honored by the U.S. Conference of Polish Newspapers as ``the oldest Polish newspaperman working in the United States.'' Actively involved in communities in both Poland and the United States, Bruno served on the Board of Governors of the Detroit Public Library, a founder of the Polish Riverfront Festival whose contributions benefit children's hospitals in Poland, and on the Board of the Polish Daily News. Bruno is a member of the Polish Century Club, the American-Polish Century Club, the Smith Old Timers, and the Monday night Lotto Club. An avid chess player, Bruno still participates in tournaments around the world where he ``wins his age division.'' Bruno believes that ``no one has created a better way to perpetuate history and deeds than by monuments which endure and remind future generations of the contributions of the past.'' A designer, not a sculptor, he set out to work with others to design and build monuments that would remind future generations of the American-Polish culture and heritage. His first monument is the Veteran's War Memorial, dedicated in Hamtramck in 1950, listing the names of the servicemen and women who died in World War II and Korea. Additional names of those who fell in the Vietnam War were subsequently added. Bruno's other monuments depicting the arts, science and religion can be seen in the Polish room of the Ethnic Conference and Study Center at Wayne State University, Detroit Main Library, Hamtramck Public Library, Alliance College in Pennsylvania, Interlochen Music School and Academy, Detroit Science Center, and of course, his statue in Hamtramck of Pope John Paul II commemorating the first Polish Pope. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our best wishes to this remarkable man and close friend for good health and happiness as he continues his work to ensure that Poland's's people and its history will live on and the role of Polish-Americans fully understood and acknowledged in the United States of America.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this time. The IPS, Interim Payment System, has been grossly unfair, grossly unfair to low-cost, cost-effective providers in States, especially States like Michigan. This is a step in the right direction. But I want to express two hopes. Number one, this is not retroactive. A lot of very good, healthy, once healthy, home health agencies have been terribly hurt. I think our system should protect the cost effective and not assist those that are cost ineffective. So I hope if this bill gets to conference that we can look at that issue. Also, the chairman of the subcommittee and I have talked about the entire bill. I hope we can take another look in the way we pay for this. I do not think we should mortgage the future to correct the past or the present. So I rise in support of this bill. It is urgently needed.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to consecrate the memory of a woman whose life was spent treating the sick in my state of Michigan and throughout the nation, Sister Irene Kraus, a Daughter of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Sister Irene was a pioneer in the health care industry. She was the first woman to chair the American Hospital Association, she also chaired the Catholic Health Association and was inducted into the Healthcare Hall of Fame of the American Hospital Association. The number of honors bestowed upon this extraordinary woman are too great to list in full. Sister Irene's many accolades include: the American College of Healthcare Executives Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Hospital Administration, the B'nai B'rith International National Health Care Award, and the American Hospital Association Distinguished Service Medal. I became personally acquainted with Sister Irene while serving on the Lay Advisory Board at Providence Hospital in Southfield, Michigan. As President and Chief Executive Officer of Providence Hospital, Sister Irene provided the ladership and vision necessary to implement a health care policy and value system based on respect, advocacy for the poor, quality care, simplicity and inventiveness. It was this literally divine combination that made Southfield's Providence Hospital, and the many other institutions guided by her hand, so valuable to their respective communities. Underlying her many professional accomplishments, however, was her ability to look beyond organizational structures, to recognize every individual's need for medical and mental health care, and find practical avenues toward prevention and treatment. She did not hesitate to seek answers beyond the conventional wisdom of the day. Her combination of functional command, common sense and diplomacy often persuaded her colleagues to support her ground-breaking approach to policy. Her rare combination of compassion, clear thinking and spirited leadership will be sorely missed by all those whose lives she has touched. Our family will miss her as a person whom we had the privilege of knowing and working with; like with so many others, she left an indelible imprint on our lives. On Friday, October 9, a Memorial Service will be held to honor Sister Irene at Providence Hospital, Southfield, Michigan. Only the session in Congress will prevent my joining in this observance. I will be there fully in spirit.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I reiterate my deep dismay at the President's personal conduct and his misleading the American people. We need a process that appropriately punishes the President without unduly punishing our nation. Today's debate is not about whether there will be an impeachment inquiry, but about how the impeachment inquiry should proceed and for how long. The House should approve an impeachment inquiry today that refers the allegations contained within the Starr Report to the Judiciary Committee to determine if they constitute impeachable offenses in a manner that assures an early conclusion and is clearly defined as to its scope. The Hyde proposal meets none of these criteria. I agree with President Gerald Ford who recently wrote that ``the Judiciary Committee should be able to conclude a preliminary inquiry into possible grounds for impeachment before the end of the year.'' The impeachment inquiry we approve today should be focused and clearly defined as to its scope. The Hyde proposal is neither focused nor clearly defined and places no limit on how long the investigation can go on. I believe the impeachment inquiry proposal that will be offered by Mr. Boucher meets appropriate standards and the interests of the American people. The Hyde proposal does not.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the congregation of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Royal Oak, Michigan, as they celebrate 125 years of ministry to the Royal Oak community. St. Paul Lutheran Church began as a Lutheran orphanage in 1873 on twenty acres of property at University and Main Street in Royal Oak. In August of 1873, Pastor George Speckhard was installed as Pastor of the Church as well as superintendent of the orphanage and instructor of deaf children. Pastor Speckhard, a former teacher for the deaf in Germany before entering the ministry, had been instructing two deaf children and was soon asked to instruct other deaf children in the area. Within ten months, he was instructing 15 deaf children. Because of the obvious need, the orphanage was transferred to Addison, Illinois and the Royal Oak facility became a school for the deaf. In 1875, the school was moved to Nevada Avenue in Detroit, and became known as The Lutheran School for the Deaf. After the School for the Deaf was moved, Pastor Speckhard faithfully made the trip to Royal Oak to continue church services and other pastoral duties in various temporary locations. After reorganization, the church was called St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church. St. Paul's experienced changes in pastors throughout the years. In addition, the church made several moves, and underwent building and expansion projects to accommodate its growing congregation and increasing enrollment in the day school. During these 125 years, St. Paul's has always served the Royal Oak community by participating in a variety of local projects, teaching children in their day school, and reaching out with their ministry program specifically formulated for Royal Oak's unique urban community. I ask my colleagues to join me as we extend our sincere congratulations to St. Paul Lutheran Church for their 125 years of dedicated spiritual service to the Royal Oak community.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mr. George Jesko, Deputy Superintendent of the Lamphere Schools after 33 years of service in several positions in the school district. George first came to Lamphere Schools as a young Science teacher who also coached basketball, track and football. As a result of his success in coaching, he was named Coach of the Year after only two years. This was followed by the same honor six additional times. George was not only a teacher and coach but also Athletic Director, Assistant High School Principal, Associate Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Human Resources/Athletics. In addition to his school positions, George has been an active leader in community organizations. He served as President of the Oakland Association of Personnel Administrators, Chairman of the Council of Chief Negotiators, and has been very involved in the American Association of Personal Administrators, Michigan Employer Labor Relations, the Metro Bureau and Michigan Negotiators Association. The Lamphere Schools have indeed been fortunate to have had the services and talent of this outstanding and dedicated individual. I commend him for his commitment to the students in providing the best educational environmental in both academics and athletics. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing George Jesko good health, success and happiness as he enters a new phase in his life.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I quote: The solution is simple: formally wall off Social Security from the rest of the budget to prevent continued thievery from the trust fund. I know the majority is sensitive to references to stealing from Social Security, but the above quote is not from Democrats but from a leading official at the conservative Cato Institute. Surely the Republicans are proposing the diversion of Social Security moneys. Unlike in past years when the overall deficit was so huge, we are now at a point where we can undertake the difficult but vital task of assuring the long-term soundness of Social Security. This means putting Social Security first, and then a tax cut. Being a 90 percenter, diverting 10 percent of Social Security funds, is wrong. This bill also erodes the fiscal discipline that we fought so hard for in 1990 and 1993. In 1997, we passed a tax cut. I voted for it and would do so again. We paid for it with program cuts deep enough that they caused many to vote against the bill. Today the majority turns its back on that hard-won fiscal discipline. They pay for this cut from the budget surplus, Social Security's surplus, waiving the budget rules. This Nation has benefited from fiscal discipline. We who voted for it in 1990 and 1993 were right. So the better course is to save Social Security first and then act on a tax cut for American families. The majority puts the cart before the horse, trampling both on Social Security and on fiscal discipline. We should do neither. Pass the democratic substitute.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, why in the world are we bringing up this bill when it is sure to fail? Mr. Speaker, this is too important an issue to sacrifice long-term considerations for any short-term political advantage. Trade issues do deserve better than this. This is not a question of whether we want and need more international trade. We do. That is why I worked actively to help shape the Uruguay Round, and voted for it. The question is, more international trade under what conditions? There is little controversy about granting fast track for WTO negotiations on services, information technologies, agriculture or, probably, for that matter, Chile. I say, by the way, to my good friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman), we can start negotiations in these matters with or without fast track, as was true of the Uruguay Round. The main issue underlying the fast track controversy is how to respond to the burgeoning trade with industrializing nations, Brazil, India, China, Mexico. Our trade with these nations has exploded in the last 5 years from one-third to almost one-half of our imports. These Nations have very different rules regarding environment, labor markets, State subsidies, et cetera. What will be the rules of competition with these nations? The fast track proposal before us limits the ability of the President to negotiate on these items. It limits it. Unlike for any other previous President, it sets up restrictions like ``directly related'', and says it is okay if we would require Nations to maintain present standards, but we can negotiate to improve them. The Kyoto agreement is opposed, and I think correctly, because it would give industrializing nations a free ride on global warming. Why tie the hands of the President to press other environmental issues and labor market issues in trade negotiations? We can do better than this fast track bill, much better. When it comes up today, vote no.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, Point one: Let us remember history, where the deficit came from. I heard one of our colleagues on the Committee on Ways and Means talk about it as if it came when the Democrats were running the show. Most of the deficit occurred in the 1980s when there were Republican Presidents, and we appropriated no more than those Presidents asked for. And the two major deficit reduction bills before last year, in 1990 the majority of Republicans voted no, and in 1993 every single Republican voted no. Secondly, the emergency argument is pure bootstrap. If it is not an emergency, do not include it within the bill. The Budget Act provides for emergency expenditures. It does not provide for raiding the Social Security fund, and we have to amend the Budget Act in order to do it. This bill before us is nothing more than an accounting gimmick, a bookkeeping contrivance that does nothing to protect Social Security. I support the Rangel substitute. Our colleagues are in a box on this, so they come up with a phony lockbox. Ours is a real one. What it does, the Rangel substitute, it takes a hundred percent of the budget surplus each year and transfers it aside to the Federal Reserve Bank to be held in trust for Social Security. But the important point is we should not spend any of the budget surplus until we have first taken action to assure the long-term health of Social Security. Without the surplus in Social Security, there is no budget surplus this year. Without Social Security, the general fund of the Treasury will not post a genuine surplus of any size until 2006. Look, this bill and its companion tomorrow divert 10 percent of the budget surplus, the Social Security surplus. When it comes to Social Security, my constituents and I think theirs say being a 90 percenter is not good enough. I urge my colleagues to support the Rangel lockbox substitute. This is the time to make saving Social Security the first, not a second or third priority. We must not divert Social Security funds. Let us fix Social Security and then enact a tax cut for American families.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I join with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp) today. I regret that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) cannot be here because of a death in the family. We have been working together on this matter as well as other issues, and I am glad that the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp) can be here in his stead. Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan legislation before us makes compassionate and common sense changes to several important programs. Most importantly, the bill provides for a permanent extension of supplemental security income for so-called nonqualified aliens. When we passed the Balanced Budget Act last year, we promised to continue SSI benefits for all legal immigrants who were receiving benefits before the enactment of welfare reform. However, the statute only applied this grandfather status to qualified aliens, a criteria which excluded certain legal immigrants formerly referred to as persons residing under the color of law. This legislation makes good on our original pledge to continue SSI benefits for all legal aliens regardless of their particular immigration status. This bill more than offsets the cost of this change by providing the Social Security Administration with limited authority to recoup SSI overpayments from Social Security checks. In fact, as a whole the legislation will save the Federal Government $93 million over the next 5 years. This clearly illustrates that we can both be socially compassionate and fiscally prudent if we work together on our Nation's problems. There are a few important points to remember about the population we are helping with this legislation. First, recent studies have clearly indicated that up to \3/4\ of those now classified as nonqualified aliens are, in fact, U.S. citizens or qualified aliens. Second, many of the remaining individuals in this nonqualified group have been in our country for decades and, therefore, cannot be accused of coming to the U.S. to collect public benefits. Third, these individuals are, by definition, poverty stricken and disabled or elderly, meaning the elimination of their SSI benefits would leave them in a dire predicament. Beyond protecting the SSI safety net for long time legal residents of this country, the legislation we are considering includes several other beneficial provisions, as mentioned by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Camp). For example, the bill permanently extends the self-employment assistance program, which aids unemployment insurance recipients in starting their own businesses. The bill also clarifies that the 1996 welfare law does not bar foreign nationals from obtaining or renewing professional licenses in this country. Finally, the legislation will ensure that sick children do not lose their SSI benefits when they receive gifts from nonprofit organizations such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to strengthen our Nation's safety net for those less fortunate than ourselves. The bill is bipartisan. It is paid for, and it makes good sense and fulfills our promise. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record a Statement of Administration Policy in support of this bill: Statement of Administration Policy (This statement has been coordinated by OMB with the concerned agencies.) h.r. 4558--Noncitizen benefit clarification and other technical amendments act of 1998 Reps. Shaw (R) FL and Levin (D) MI The Administration strongly supports H.R. 4558. The bill would allow certain vulnerable legal immigrants to continue to receive Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid benefits for which they otherwise would be ineligible after September 30, 1998. H.R. 4558 would further the President's efforts to reverse unduly harsh benefit restrictions on legal immigrants that have nothing to do with moving people from welfare to work. The Administration applauds this bipartisan effort. pay-as-you-go scoring H.R. 4558 would affect direct spending; therefore, it is subject to the pay-as-you-go requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. The Office of Management and Budget's preliminary scoring estimate is that the bill would result in a net decrease in direct spending of $5 million in FY 1999 and a total of $58 million during FYs 1999 through 2003. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on Friday September 25, the Sterling Heights Fire Fighters Union will host their Annual Dinner-Dance honoring their 1998 retirees. It is my distinct privilege to recognize the five retiring firefighters for their outstanding contributions to humanity. Fire Marshall Frederick B. Cowper's important contributions to his community include implementing educational and prevention programs for camps and local school districts. Battalion Chief Anthony Maltese has spent his career raising public awareness and providing courage and expertise in emergency situations. Captain James L. Twork has received recognition for his compassion, professionalism, and knowledge while performing his duties. Finally, Captain Michael J. Rudolph has taken on a variety of responsibilities throughout his career and received the Department Award of Valor in 1983. These gentlemen have demonstrated acts of heroism and have performed above and beyond the call of duty. Indeed, the people of Sterling Heights have been well-served by their untiring care and concern. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing these gentlemen for their dedication, accomplishments and years of service. I wish them good health and happiness as they move forward in their lives.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I will support passage of H.R. 4569, the Foreign Operations Appropriation for fiscal year 1999. I do so in spite of serious concerns over a number of the bill's provisions. Unfortunately, the Majority has once again been unwilling to provide adequate funding for the International Monetary Fund. H.R. 4569 provides only $3.4 billion in credits to the IMF, far less than is needed to deal with the spreading economic crisis in Asia, Russia and other countries, and far less than the $18 billion requested by the Administration. It is particularly unfortunate that the Majority would not even allow an amendment on IMF funding in order to let the House have an up-or-down vote on the matter. I also object to language contained in this bill to codify the so- called ``Mexico City'' restrictions on U.S. funds for international family planning organizations. Finally, I believe the provisions related to North Korea and funding for the Newly Independent States of the former Soviet Union need to be improved. I hope that these deficiencies in the bill can be corrected in conference with the Senate. I will not support the conference report unless there are major changes.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett) and to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) who with others including myself have taken a leading advocacy position on this issue, I congratulate all of them. This is a fight worth fighting. This is a fight we cannot lose. This fight against drug use is in danger of spreading to parts of the Nation which have not fully seen this, though in a sense every sector has seen it. There has been a denial on the part of many people that the problem exists. Hopefully this bill will be another step to take away that denial and to realize that this is a national problem that requires national action. Most of the work is going to have to be done in our communities, but surely we can lead. The most recent surveys indicate the depth of the problem that the use of some hard drugs is increasing. There is much misunderstanding within our country about marijuana use. There is more and more evidence that it is harmful. This bill draws on elements of the national strategy document put together by General McCaffrey. I have had the privilege of working with him on a number of drug issues, and I am proud to stand by his side. The record has not been perfect, but it has been a record of action. This bill enhances elements of programs that were started before. One is the National Youth Anti-drug Media Campaign. I had the privilege of helping to launch it in my home district with the help of K-Mart. We had a number of youths there, and it was encouraging to have them stand up and talk about the dangers of drugs and to talk about the need for us to meet head on this problem with the youth of America. I saw the ads. I believe they are effective ones. The youth who were there thought they were effective, some more than others. But I remember them dramatically, I remember the reaction dramatically, and this bill will help us use the power of the media to give a clear message to kids and to ask them for their support. This bill also addresses the problem of drug abuse in our prisons. We need to address that. We need to make sure that people who go into prison in so many cases with a drug problem, when they leave, if they do, that their drug problem has been addressed. This bill also includes reference to a resolution regarding community anti-drug coalitions. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) and I have been privileged to represent two districts that have been used as models; in the case of Cincinnati, a comprehensive program that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) has helped to spark. In the case of the 12th District, it is a different model, of efforts from the grass roots up, and our office and our staff have tried to facilitate those coalitions. And I say this without any hesitation: All of the Members of this Congress should get involved in anti-drug coalitions in their community. Our staff goes to meetings of every one of those anti-drug coalitions, and I am proud to have been associated with all of these efforts. So, in a word, this bill is one not only worth supporting, it is worth advocating, and it is worth implementing. It is worth our personnel commitment to take a piece of legislation, take it back home and help make it work, and there is no greater responsibility. The world has changed since my generation went to school. We did not know these problems. We have no choice but for this generation, for my grandchildren's generation, that we help America address this problem. As I said before, this is a fight worth fighting, this is a fight that we must win. Let us vote for this bill and then help to implement it.